Holiday Home Protection Tips

Holiday Home Protection Tips

Do not leave your holiday home at risk while it is uninhabited. Use this simple guide to protect your holiday home from burglary, storm damage, fire and water damage. Call our team of friendly advisors for a holiday home insurance quote.

Burglary Prevention

Follow these tips to stop thieves in their tracks. Fitting and USING good quality locks on all doors and windows and installing an approved alarm system will remove opportunities for thieves to enter your holiday home.

All external doors should be fitted with mortice dead locks (or their equivalent) and you should lock these doors even if you are just out for a short time.

All patio door should be fitted with key-operated patio door locks. The keys should be removable.

All ground floor and other accessible windows, fanlights and roof lights should be fitted wit security locks and put into full operation.

Water Damage

Leaking and burst water pipe can cause serious damage to your holiday home. There are simple rules you can follow to protect your home against water damage.

Lag pipes and water tanks where possible.

Leave the underside of water tanks clear to ensure rising heat can reach them.

Replace water on leaking taps and ensure all taps are turned off before leaving your holiday home.

Between the 1st November and 31st March (both days inclusive) ensure that the water supply is turned off at the mains and that the water system and tanks are fully drained down.

Fire Prevention

Domestic fires kill thousands each year and can cause untold damage to homes. Take the following precautions to reduce the risk of fire in your holiday home.

Do not overload electrical points. Unplug all appliances when not in use.

Repair faulty wiring, frayed leads and loose plugs.

Have the chimney swept once a year.

Place a secure fireguard in front of all fire while they are lighting.

Avoid careless smoking, especially in bedrooms.

Keep matches in a safe place out of reach of children and toddlers.

Close all internal doors when going to bed and when leaving the holiday home.

Keep heaters away from furniture, curtains and bedclothes.

Never move or refuel and an oil or gas heater while it is lighting.

Keep all electrical flexes off cooker rings and hobs.

Be especially cautious with deep fat fryers. Never leave them unattended on or near a lighted cooker.

Install two smoke detectors. Test them regularly and replace the batteries twice a year.

Storm Damage

Use the following tips to minimise storm damage.

Unblock guttering and drains and ensure they are secure and in a good state of repair.

Make sure that there are no loose or damaged tiles.

Bolt the gates and place garden furniture, lawnmowers, toys and plant pots in a locked shed.

Maintain mineral felt roofs by checking them regularly and replacing the felt where there re signs of deterioration.

Before leaving the Holiday Home

Ensure all doors and windows are securely locked and the alarm system is set.

Inform the local Garda station that you will be away.

Cancel all deliveries.

Designate someone to call by regularly to check on the holiday home and remove post from the porch/letterbox.

Ensure the power is turned off at the mains and that the heating system and water tanks are drained down.

To protect your home away from home call our team of friendly advisors for a holiday home insurance quote today.